Device for placement of football

ABSTRACT

A portable standard is provided with a weighted base. A section of flexible metal tubing extends from the upper end portion of the standard and terminates in a flexible, resilient cupped member made of a rubber material. The tubing may be manipulated so as to turn the open end of the cupped member downwardly for engagement with the upper end of a football thereby held on the ground in position for a place kick.

United States Patent 1191 Molettieri 1 1 Aug. 27, 1974 1 1 DEVICE FOR PLACEMENT OF FOOTBALL [76] Inventor: John B. Molettieri, 7047 Paschall Ave., Philadelphia, Pa. 19142 [22] Filed: Feb. 22, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 334,629

[52] US. Cl. 273/55 B [51] lint. Cl A63b 67/00 [58] Field of Search 273/55 B, 26 R, 26 A, 26 E, 273/95 A, 184 B, 185 C, 185 D; 248/1171,

3,439,916 4/1969 Kopp 273/55 B 3,462,145 8/1969 Shirley et a1. 273/55 B 3,601,398 8/1971 Brochman 273/26 E 3,762,706 10/1973 Carett 273/55 B Primary Examiner-Richard C. Pinkham Assistant Examiner-T. Brown Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Louis V. Schiavo 5 7] ABSTRACT A portable standard is provided with a weighted base. A section of flexible metal tubing extends from the upper end portion of the standard and terminates in a flexible, resilient cupped member made of a rubber material. The tubing may be manipulated so as to turn the open end of the cupped member downwardly for engagement with the upper end of a football thereby held on the ground in position for a place kick.

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT:

The following description is directed to the specific This invention relates generally to devices for use by embodiment of the invention disclosed in the drawings.

athletes during practice sessions to develop their skills, and particularly to a device for use by a football player during a practice session to develop his skill as a place or field goal kicker.

2. Description of the Prior Art In the game of football, place kicking is so important that some teams use specialists, called kickers, for place kicking. The kicker normally requires the help of another player, called a holder, who upends the ball, places it on the ground and holds it there at a desired angle in position for being kicked. This is the normal procedure, not only during a game, but also during practice. In this way, the kicker develops style, timing, distance and consistency by grooving the swing of his kicking leg for the accuracy necessary to meet the various situations he will have to contend with during a game. This method of practicing place kicking has not proved to be entirely satisfactory. The disadvantage is that the holder is usually a member of a different unit of the team, as a consequence of which he is required to practice with his unit. This means that the kicker must stand by with no one to help him practice until the holder is free to do so. Thus, precious practice time is lost.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An important object of the present invention is to provide a mechanical device, the use of which makes placement of a football manually in readiness for a place kick unnecessary.

Another object of the present invention is to provide such a device which is readily adjusted without the use of a tool of any kind for placement of an upended football at a selected angle relative to the ground.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide such a device which may be used by a kicker irrespective of whether he kicks with his right foot or his left foot.

Another object of the present invention is to provide such a device which frees a kicker who wishes to practice his specialty from the necessity of depending upon the availability of another player for placement of the football in readiness for a place kick, and which enables the kicker to practice when and where it suits him best to do so.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a longitudinal section through a device constructed in accordance with the present invention and illustrating placement of a football in position on the ground in readiness for a place kick, the football being shown in phantom;

FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate two of the many different positions into which the football placement device may be manipulated, the football being shown in phantom; and

FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate two different kicking approaches, the football and the kickers foot being shown in phantom. FIG. 4 shows the more common approach, and FIG. 5 shows the soccer style approach.

It is not addressed to the scope of the invention, which may be practiced in a variety of forms.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to FIG. 1, a football placement device constructed in accordance with the invention comprises a portable ground sup ported standard 10 which carries a pliable tubular member 12 in turn carrying a cupped head 14 adapted for quick releasably engaging a football, designated F, and holding it on the ground in position for being kicked.

The standard 10 is provided with a round base made of sheet metal including a main body or wall 16 provided with a depending skirt 18 defining a cavity 20 under the wall 16, which is furnished centrally with an opening 22. The standard 10 also includes a hand grab extending upwardly from the base 16 including a main body or tubular member 24 made of metal. The lower end portion of the tubular member 24 is nested in a sheet metal disk 26 centrally apertured, as at 28, and provided with a raised rim 30, and the upper end portion of the tubular member 24 is nested in a sheet metal disk 32 centrally apertured, as at 34, and provided with a skirt 36.

Disposed upright and extending'freely through the opening 22 in the base 16 and the aperture'28 in the disk 26 is a short lengthof externally threaded pipe 38 secured against axial movement by a flat washer 40 threaded on the pipe 38, tight against the underside of the wall 16 and a flat washer 42 threaded on the pipe 38, tight against the upper side of the disk 26. Also threaded on the pipe 38 is a nut 44 seated upon the washer 42. The upper end portion of the pipe 38 is telescoped into the lower end portion of a short length of pipe 46, which is threaded into a counterbore 48 in the nut 44. The upper end portion of the pipe 46 extends freely through the aperture 34 in the disk 32 and is threaded into the counterbore 50 in a nut 52 seated upon the disk 32.

The base 16 is weighted by a pair of suitably heavy cast iron disks 54 separated by a flat washer 56, all of which are fitted freely over the lower end portion of the pipe 38 and secured in place by a flat washer 58 and a lock nut 60 both threaded on the pipe 38.

The tubular member 12 is a length of BX-type cable which may be manually bent into various forms. One end portion of the member 12 is threaded into the counterbore 62 of a fitting 64, the lower end portion 66 of which is reduced in diameter and threaded into the bore 68 of the nut 52. The opposite end portion of the member 12 is threaded into the counterbore 70 of a titting 72, the lower end portion 74 of which is reduced in diameter and threaded into a cap 76, thereby to afford an annular groove 78 extending about the reduced diameter portion 74 for a purpose to appear.

The member 14 is made of a pliable, resilient rubber material or the like, being provided with an inverted cup-shaped main body part 80 having a rim 82. The main body part 80 depends from a corrugated wall affording a neck 84, which in turn depends from a cylindrical wall terminating in a cross-axially extending wall 86 centrally apertured, as at 88, and affording a head 90. In the assembly of the device, the wall 86 is forced over the cap 76, whereupon the inner marginal area thereof snaps into the annular groove 78.

A regulation football is about seven inches in diameter and above eleven inches in length. Preferably, the cuppedmember 14 is about 2 and /8 inches in diameter across its rim 82 and about 2 inches in length, overall. In addition, the pliable cable 12 may be about 1/2 inch in diameter and about 24 inches in length. The hand grab of the standard may be about 1 and V2 inches in diameter and about 6 inches in length. The base of the standard 10 may be about 1 inch high and about 6 inches in diameter. The disks 54 housed in the cavity of the base 16 may weigh in the order to two pounds apiece.

In the use of the football placement device, the device is placed on the ground with the pliable tubular member 12 manually bent as required so that the cupped head 14 is turned downwardly for engagement of its rim 82 with the upper end of an upended football placed on the ground next to the device (as shown). The weighted base 16 of the standard 10 holds the device in place, and the cupped head 14 holds the football on the ground at a desired angle thereto in readiness for a place kick. The engagement of the cupped head 14 with the football is a quick detachable engagement effected merely by placing the rim 82 of the main body part 80 in contact with the upper end of the football.

The pliable cable 12 can be manually manipulated so that the distance from the center of the standard 10 to the center of the football, and the attitude of the football relative to the ground, may range selectively within suitable limits. In FIGS. 1 and 2, the football is shown approximately 12 inches from the standard 10 and held upright by the device in readiness for a place kick. In FIG. 3, the football is shown a little farther away from the standard 10 and held by the device in a position sloping from the ground rearwardly and upwardly toward the kicker. In FIGS. 4 and 5, the football is in the same position as in FIG. 3, but in FIG. 4, the kickers foot is shown applied to the football via the more common approach, while in FIG. 5, the kickers foot is shown applied to the football via the soccer style approach.

In view of the foregoing, it should be evident that, with the aid of the football placement device of the present invention, which makes manual placement of the football for a place kick unnecessary, a place kicker may now practice his specialty independently of his teammates.

While in accordance with the provisions of the patent statues, I have illustrated and described the best form or embodiment of my invention now known to me, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes may be made in the form of the football placement device described without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the base 16 is weighted by employing two disks 54. Instead, one suitably heavy member could be used. In fact, one suitably heavy disk could be used in place of the entire base 16 as shown and described. It is even conceivable that the hand grab 24 may be eliminated and instead of threading the pliable cable 12 into the top of the hand grab 24 it might be threaded directly into the base 116.

What is claimed is:

1. In a portable device for placement of a football on the ground in position for a place kick, the combination comprising A. means having a base of a size and weight for effectively maintaining the device upright when it is placed on the ground,

B. a section of flexible tubing extending upwardly from said base, said tubing being manually bent into generally inverted U-shape, and being inher ently capable of yieldably maintaining said inverted U-shape, and

C. a member of resilient flexible material depending from the free end portion of said tubing, the lower end portion of said member being of inverted cup shape, and being provided with a rim adapted for engaging the top of an upended football, whereby to quick detachably hold the same in a desired position for a place kick.

2. The combination according to claim I wherein the device is provided with a hand grab mounted upright upon the base to form therewith a rigid standard and having the flexible tubing secured by one end portion to the top thereof, said hand grab comprising'an upright section of tubular stock closed at each end by a sheet metal disk, a short section of pipe extending upwardly freely through said base and the lower one of said disks, elements threaded upon said pipe section securing the same against axial movement relative to the base, a second short section ofpipe threaded into an element in turn threaded on the first mentioned pipe section and extending upwardly therefrom through the upper one of saiddisks, and an element threaded upon the upper extremity of said second pipe section effectively securing said hand grab to said base.

3. In a portable device for placement of a football on the ground in position for a place kick, the combination comprising A. a standard having 1. a base of a size and weight for effectively maintaining the device upright when it is placed on the ground, including a. an inverted sheet metal pan,

b. a short pipe section extending upright freely through an opening in the center of said pan,

c. a pair of suitably heavy cast iron disks on said pipe section and disposed within said pan, and

d. a plurality of elements threaded on said pipe section and effectively securing said pipe section against shifting axially relative to said pan and said cast iron disks against shifting axially relative to said pipe section, and

2. a hand grab including a. an upright section of tubular stock,

b. a pair of sheet metal disks, the lower end portion of said tubular stock being seated upon one of said sheet metal disks and the upper end portion of said tubular stock being capped by the other one of said sheet metal disks,

c. .a second short section of pipe threaded into one of said elements threaded on the first mentioned pipe section and extending upwardly therefrom freely through the sheet metal disk capping said section of tubular stock, and

d. an element threaded on the upper extremity of said second pipe section, said hand grab being thereby effectively clamped directly to said pan, B. a section of flexible tubing extending from the top of said hand grab, of the type wherein the wall of the tubing comprises a helically wound strip of metal, said tubing being manually pliable and thereby adapted for being selectively bent into various forms, including 1. an element threaded on the lower end portion of said flexible tuning and into the element threaded on the upper extremity of said second pipe section,

2. an element threaded on the free end of said flexible tubing, and

3. a cap threaded on the last mentioned element and coacting therewith to provide an annular nal axis of said flexible tubing, and

C. a member made of resilient. flexible material including l. a cylindrical head with a crossaxially extending centrally apertured wall snapped into said annular groove,

2. a neck extending in axial continuation of said head and provided with a wall having axially spaced corrugations, and

3. a main body part of inverted cupshape extending in axial continuation of said neck and terminating in a circular rim, said flexible tubing being adapted for being bent downwardly to turn said main body part downwardly to bring said rim into engagement with the top of an upended football, whereby to quick detachably hold the same in a desired position for a place kick.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFF ICE CERTIFIGATE OF CORRECTION Patent'No. 3,831.;940 I Dated AUGUST 27, 1974 Inventor) JOHN MOLETTIERI It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent arehereby corrected as shown below:

COLUMN 3, line 4, "above" should read --about--;

line 13:, after "order" delete "to" and substitute --of---.

Signed and sealed this 3rd day of December 1974.

(SEAL) I Attest:

VMcCOY M'. GIBSON JR. c. MARSHALL DANN- Attesting Officer:- Commissioner of Patents 

1. In a portable device for placement of a football on the ground in position for a place kick, the combination comprising A. means having a base of a size and weight for effectively maintaining the device upright when it is placed on the ground, B. a section of flexible tubing extending upwardly from said base, said tubing being manually bent into generally inverted U-shape, and being inherently capable of yieldably maintaining said inverted U-shape, and C. a member of resilient flexible material depending from the free end portion of said tubing, the lower end portion of said member being of inverted cup shape, and being provided with a rim adapted for engaging the top of an upended football, whereby to quick detachably hold the same in a desired position for a place kick.
 2. The combination according to claim 1 wherein the device is provided with a hand grab mounted upright upon the base to form therewith a rigid standard and having the flexible tubing secured by one end portion to the top thereof, said hand grab comprising an upright section of tubular stock closed at each end by a sheet metAl disk, a short section of pipe extending upwardly freely through said base and the lower one of said disks, elements threaded upon said pipe section securing the same against axial movement relative to the base, a second short section of pipe threaded into an element in turn threaded on the first mentioned pipe section and extending upwardly therefrom through the upper one of said disks, and an element threaded upon the upper extremity of said second pipe section effectively securing said hand grab to said base.
 2. a neck extending in axial continuation of said head and provided with a wall having axially spaced corrugations, and
 2. an element threaded on the free end of said flexible tubing, and
 2. a hand grab including a. an upright section of tubular stock, b. a pair of sheet metal disks, the lower end portion of said tubular stock being seated upon one of said sheet metal disks and the upper end portion of said tubular stock being capped by the other one of said sheet metal disks, c. a second short section of pipe threaded into one of said elements threaded on the first mentioned pipe section and extending upwardly therefrom freely through the sheet metal disk capping said section of tubular stock, and d. an element threaded on the upper extremity of said second pipe section, said hand grab being thereby effectively clamped directly to said pan, B. a section of flexible tubing extending from the top of said hand grab, of the type wherein the wall of the tubing comprises a helically wound strip of metal, said tubing being manually pliable and thereby adapted for being selectively bent into various forms, including
 3. a cap threaded on the last mentioned element and coacting therewith to provide an annular groove extending about the extended longitudinal axis of said flexible tubing, and C. a member made of resilient flexible material including
 3. In a portable device for placement of a football on the ground in position for a place kick, the combination comprising A. a standard having
 3. a main body part of inverted cupshape extending in axial continuation of said neck and terminating in a circular rim, said flexible tubing being adapted for being bent downwardly to turn said main body part downwardly to bring said rim into engagement with the top of an upended football, whereby to quick detachably hold the same in a desired position for a place kick. 